ONTONAGON -- Ontonagon Area High School students had the chance to watch a different kind of cello player on Thursday morning.  Ben Sollee visited the high school and spoke to students about the importance of music. 

Sollee is a cellist with a twist.  His music combines classical cello with bluegrass, rock, R&B and blues.  It's his first time visiting the Upper Peninsula while on a nation tour with his band.

He performed different styles of music for the students and even shared with them the unique way his band sometimes travels.

"We do about a third of our touring each year on a bicycle," said Sollee, "which is to say, I take that cello in that case and put it on a bicycle and ride from gig to gig, and the gigs are, you know, 40 to 50 miles apart, and we'll do that about 3,200 miles on tour by bicycle."

Ben Sollee performed at the Ontonagon Theatre on Thursday evening.